Means for facilitating the opening of containers.



E. G. AUSTIN. MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE OPENING OF CONTAINERS. APPLICATION FILED mam, m2.

TTORNFIY partially in the body of the container.

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MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE OPENING OF CONTAINERS.

icense.

siding at 215 Lambton Quay, Wellington, in

the Provincial District of Wellington, in the Dominion of New Zealand, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Facilitating the Opening of Con tainers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to containers such as circular rectangularor other shaped tins or'cans used for holding or packing food stuffs, blacking, tobacco and many other substances and provides means whereby the lids of such containers are easily removed.

It is well known that difficulty is constantly experienced in removing the lids from containers, and various methods and expedients are resorted to, such as hammer ing or heating the lid, for the purpose of its removal.

My invention adds practically nothing or very little to'the cost of manufacture and does not disfigure the containers,

I form an indentation'suiliciently large to admit or partially admit the tips of the thumbs and having its deepest part coin- Folding with the edge of the lid. The indentation is formed partially in-the lid egg making the indentation, ribs, bosses or beads are tormediat the top and bottom of the indentation md these ribs are n'iillcdto give a firm grin :to the thumbs.

The rumor the body of a container and particularly of a circular container when surrounded by the rim of a lid, form a construction which frequently will not yield suiliciently to permit the removal of the lid by the hands alone. The indentations in the lid and body of the container form. breaks in the rims, which allow the said rims to syn-inn, suiliciently for the lid to be removed with facility. One or more indention extending through its upper edge, a

tations may he provided. The indentation enables a lid to he placed in position upon the body of a container more readily than an ordinary lid. The indentation of the lid is adjusted upon the indentation in, the

body, and the lid is-then readily pushed into position without trouble. c

To remove the lid of a container, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed'Aug-ust 27, 191%.

thumbs are placed in the indentatiom'and Patented July 14, 1914. Serial No. 717,285.

the lid is then readilyrerhoved from the body of the container by pulling apart, or the thumbs may be pressed one against the other, or used as levers one against the other for this purpose.

Thcdrawing herewith illustrates a form of my invention applied to a circular consira'rns PATENT A tainer. The invention can be applied with equal facility to containers of shapes other than circular containers.

Figure l is a. perspective elevation of a closed container embodying the invention; Fig. 2, is a perspective view showing the lid removed from the body of the container. Referring to the drawing, an-indentation 1 is made in the rim 2 of'the'body 3 as clearly shown in Figs, 1 and- 2 and a corresponding indentation 4 is made in the rim 5 of the lid 6, so thatv when the lid is in its closed position upon the body 3, the indentation 4 fits closely into the indentation 1.

The, makin of the indentations 1 and 4 form ribs, le ges or heads 7 and 8 at the bottom of the indentation 1, and at the top of the indentation 4 respectively; These ribs are milled or 0therw1seronghened, to

afford a firm grip. -When the lid is in 'posithe tips 0" an operators thumbs, and the lid is then readily removed from the body by pulling-apart, or the thumbs-may be .ressed one against the other or used as evers one against the other for "removing the lid. In ordinary casesethe lid will readily leave the body, but in the-case ofa very tight. lid, the indentation E1 is pressed inward hy the-thumb to make the rim of the body yield and allow the lid to be readily removed. Y y i What I do claim and desire to secure by Letters latent of the United States is 1. A container body, having an indenta cover, having an indentation therein correspending to and adapted to receive said itidentation in the container body, the indentw. tions together forming a recess adapted to receive the thumbs, substantially as set-a forth 2. In a container body having adjacent-'1 its' upper. end an indentation closed at'the I v bottomfa nd open at the top and one side, a name to this specification in the'presence of cove! having an indentation .closed at the two' witnesses. top and open at the bottom and one side, th'e' I 6 indentations together. forming a" recess and Witnesses: ,i 1 havin roughened lowerandupper portions Cnon. 'BAmun and a nptgad'm receive the-thumba Axum MqK'mzn.

' In tstimonj wherqf I have ERNEST AUSTIN; 

